Rail-joint



UNITED STATS ATNT QFFIVCE.

JOSEPH szAnEK, or Lrvnmvronn, VrnNNsYliv-Anrn.

BAIL-Jorim.

Application filed March 3,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH SZAREK, a citi- V zen of Poland, residing at Livermore, in the county of Vestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is arspeciication. y

The primary object of. the invention isr the provision of a joint for railway rails providing a substantially unbroken tread surface, alining means for the rails being adapted for compression upon tightening connections between the rails. i

A further object of the invention is the provision of-a scarf joint for a rail adapted to secure the abutting ends of rails together and locking resilient alining means for the rails simultaneously with the locking of the rails together. Y

Vith these general objects in view the invention consists of the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevational View of rails connected together afterl the manner of myy invention with parts broken away,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the same and Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical transverse sectional views taken upon lines IV-IV and V-V of Fig. 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, I have illustrated two rails 10 and 11 having their adjacent ends complementally formed for attachment together with the rails in longitudinal alinement. The web 12 of each rail is thickened at the end thereof with corresponding sides of the rail ends cutaway forming overlapping end sections 13. Each end section 13 terminates in an oblique face 14 at the end of its tread portion and a corresponding face 15 at the end of the base flange while the intermediate end 16 of the thickened terminal web portion 17 is curved as best illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

In a similar manner, each tread portion at the inner end of the cutaway portion of the rail has an inclined face 14 and an inclined face 15 for the base flange, the said faces 14 and 15 being normally positioned specification of Letters Patent. YPatented June 1, 1920.Y

1920. serial No. 362,976.

respectively when the rail joint is assembled, The web 12 is provided with a slight notch or groove 1S at the cutaway portion of the rail for receiving the curved end 16 of the thikened web portion 17 of the adjacent rai f 'I heend section 13 of each rail has a longitudinal socket19 in the tread portion thereof for holding a coil spring 20 projecting outwardly and into a corresponding socket 21 in the tread of the main portion of the adjacent rail,these springs y20 assisting in maintaining the rails 10 and 11 in their operative longitudinal alinement. Securing bolts 22 are positioned through perforations 23 in the thickened web 17 of one of the rails such as 10, wedging heads 24 upon said bolts being positioned in openings 25 through the thickened web 17 of the adjacent rail 11. An inclined face 26 of each bolt head 25 bears against an inclined face 27 of the opening 25 while nuts 28 are threaded upon the bolts 22 opposite the headed ends thereof.` f

Vhen the springs 20 are placed in position within the sockets 19 and 21, the'rails 10 and 11 will be held in longitudinal alinement with the end sections 13 overlapping for temporary purposes. The bolts 22 are then placed in position through the openings 25 and perforations 23 and upon tightemng the nuts 28, the rails 10 and 11 will be moved longitudinally for tightening the joint therebetween and compressing the springs 20, such action being accomplished by drawing the wedging heads 24 of the bolts inwardly of the openings 25. A

VsubstMlm-HY abutting the faces 14 and 15 strong oint is provided in which the tread of the rails is substantially unbroken at the point of connection of the rails with the eX- ception of the adjacent diagonal `faces 14 and 14 which prevents any bumping of the wheels thereover by reason of its diagonal arrangement. The rail ends are substan` tially dove-tailed together with the springs 2O serving as dowel pin members and the bolts 22 as adjustable locking means for the joint.

hile the form of the invention herein set forth is believed preferable it will be understoodV that minor changes ,may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A rail joint comprising the ends of rails `complementally formed adapted for overlapping at their Webportions, the tread portions of the rails having alining longitudinal sockets, resilient connectors within said sockets and wedging bolts connecting the overlapping `web portions of the rail Aends 'adapted "for-tightening upon the Webs slmultaneously with the compressing of Y said resilient connectors. I 2. A ,rallwj'oint Y comprising complemen- Iformed rail ends having diagonal abutting'ifa'cesand side cutaway portions Where- .thewebwportions of the railY ends vare adaptedlforflat engagement when the joint ,isj.as senibled,r helicalV springs yeonnecti ng the treadportionsof the adjacent rail ends vyfhen theuraills are insubstantial longitudi- .nal'f'alinement 'saidjweb portions having threthroiighnnd bolts adjustably secured through `said perforations with Wedgng heads within said openings whereby the rails are longitudinally shifted during the com- Pressing 0f Said Springs 119011 j the tightening ofJ upon `Vthe webs. Y

3. A rail j oint comprising complementally formed rail ends having diagonal abutby the Web portions of the rail ends are adapted for flat engagement when the joint' is assembled, helical springs connecting the tread portions of the adjacent rail ends when the rails are in substantial longitudinal alinement, 'said web portions having corresponding perforations and openings therethrough, bolts adjustably vsecured 'through said perforations with wedging JOSEPH szAnEK.

ting facesand side cutaway portions where- 

